The Final Calibur (DISCONTINUED)
by Vergil1989 the Crossover King
Summary: The tale of souls and swords eternally retold has a new chapter to the legendary story that has spanned the eons. Warriors from new worlds have been pulled into this one to aid the warriors in their quest to gain the power necessary to destroy the evil blade, Soul Edge. DISCONTINUED due to length issues. Plan to rewrite and HOPEFULLY make it better as a whole.


_A/N The king of the crossovers is about to strike again. ;D I'm having muse issues with a few of my other stories, that and while I'm waiting on a friend to beta read some of my stuff, I thought I'd get something else going in the meantime._

_Rated M for the usual stuff including strong violence, blood and gore, language, and sexual content.. Yuri and straight pairings a possibility. Viewing discretion is advised. ;D_

_As a side note, any Final Fantasy characters that make an appearance has already finished their respective stories so spoilers are possible. Fair warning if you haven't beaten any of the games I use for this. I've played FF 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and half of 13 as well as some of their console spinoffs. The ones I'm likely to use will be 7-12 for that very reason since I know the most about them._

_As for Soul Calibur, I've played 2-4 but I'm the most familiar with 2 and 3, and none of the spinoffs so again any of the characters I'm the most familiar with will be making appearances as well. So, let the story begin!_

_This is actually a redo since the first go around sounded good at the time but then I got to looking it over and it was entirely too rushed, so this time I plan to slow things down considerably and try to take my time with this, as well as limit the number of FF characters I throw into the mix. And if it wasn't clear already, this is AU from what's written in the SC profiles for the characters given the interference of FF so if you don't like AU, then don't read. Anyway, HOPEFULLY this time will turn out better but we'll see._

_**Disclaimer; **__I own nothing from either Soul Calibur or Final Fantasy. I am just a humble visitor to both, and as such am making no money from this work of pure fanfiction fun. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Ch 1. The Arrival…**

**Kaminio Castle – Sakura-Dai Gate.**

She was not feeling so good. She didn't know how she had gotten here, only that a bright white light had engulfed her and a blue shard of metal had embedded itself in her chest before every nerve in her body had exploded in pain. She was weak and disoriented, but both feelings were fading as she slowly sat up, wincing as aftershocks from whatever had hit her like a lightning blast pulsed through her nervous system. Putting a hand to her right temple, the young woman groaned but jerked when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Easy, you're still in need of rest. Lay back, you'll feel better soon."

Her vision was still too blurry to make sense of anything around her in detail, but she was sure that another woman was standing by her side and was trying to push her back onto…whatever she had been laying on a moment ago. The sound of a small crackling fire nearby was just audible behind a thick backdrop of howling wind outside. Besides the occasional cold draft that hit her underneath the thick woolen blanket she was under, she was pretty comfortable besides whatever had hit her. Reluctantly she let the other woman help her back down onto her back, only then realizing she had been divested of her clothing.

Seeing the puzzled expression on her face, her caretaker blushed and looked away, having dealt with injuries before but normally the few times she had had to tend to another person they hadn't had as extensive damage that required her to strip them down to the skin they had been born into. She had only had to do it once before, for a Greek swordswoman who had found a way to destroy the very sword that had haunted the world for untold eons, at least she had destroyed most of it anyway. The price however had been many pieces of that same sword becoming embedded in her chest and the ninja had had to remove them to save more than her body, but her untainted soul as well.

The injured woman did as she was told and while the ninja could see that her patient was still confused at least she was semi-aware of her surroundings, at least for the moment. "You're lucky. If it had gone any deeper or had stayed in your chest for much longer, you might not be breathing air since it had been working its way towards your heart. It was a piece of the holy sword, Soul Calibur. I had to get it out of you lest you wanted to join countless others in the afterlife."

"Soul…Calibur?" Her patient asked, having no idea what she was talking about and the ninja looked away again, this time from something else entirely. The ninja looked back in a hurry though and knelt by her patient's side as painful coughs overtook her, a few drops of blood escaping her mouth before she seemed to settle once more into a semi-peaceful sleep.

"Rest now, the answers are coming." Still kneeling by the woman's form, the ninja looked outside to the storm that still raged outside the castle walls she had taken her charge to, curious to know how a piece of Soul Calibur had found its way where it had at all. Something was definitely different about the reincarnation that was common for both blades since as far as the ninja knew, neither had ever pulled warriors from other realms, other worlds before, but that was the only explanation that fit given the magical disturbance she had seen two days after the latest attempt on her life by her former master's minions.

Gently rolling the woman onto her back once more, the ninja sighed heavily and pulled a few stray black hairs away from her charge's face, having seen her unusually colored red eyes when she had stirred moments ago. It had become quickly apparent that this woman that the ninja had found in the snow outside of Kaiminio Castle's walls was not a native to this world by the state of her clothes alone. Besides the ragged tear where the piece of Soul Calibur had embedded itself in her chest, her strange black vest and white shirt underneath had been undamaged, threaded with at least a dozen glowing orbs of some sort in an assortment of rainbow colors. The woman's matching black pants, boots, and gloves had similar orbs as well.

It was the pink ribbon tied to the woman's right arm that made the ninja the most curious, but the orbs were of a more pressing concern as she reached her hand out to take one out of the woman's clothing in the hopes of trying to figure out what they were and their purpose.

When the ninja had picked one of the green orbs off of the zip up jacket, she had felt a strange power emanate from the orb.

She had quickly dropped the orb out of shock but the fall hadn't damaged it at all; it had simply rolled away but the ninja had caught up with it and put it back where she had found it, figuring that whoever this woman was, she'd get her answers as soon as her patient was in better shape. It had only been a few hours since she had found the mysterious stranger, there would be time enough to figure out who she was later.

_I just hope Toki doesn't send more of his men to find me before then._ The ninja thought to herself before looking to one of the few windows that were in the guard tower she had taken temporary residence within for the storm. She had several places that were easily defended against intruders throughout the castle grounds, but the high ground she favored, especially with a sick woman to take care of. It offered avenues of escape few could hope to use without her particular set of skills. Not to mention but simply possessing the high ground gave many tactical advantages as well when it came to fighting.

_An uncontrolled fall from a high enough point will in most cases ensure a quick death. _Another of her master's lessons, and one well remembered since a few of her recent attackers had suffered similar fates before the ninja had ended their suffering with her other cases it would leave the fall victim with enough injuries to make pursuit impossible, at least for a time. It worked both ways of course, but the ninja knew her limits and always had a plan and a backup plan. For everything else, a quick and steady mind and the mistakes made by an opponent or captor always presented opportunities of their own.

Her wandering thoughts drew her back to what had brought her here. It had started with the evil sword, as had everything leading up to her current situation. Her master becoming possessed by evil power from that same blade which took the form of a powerful demon, as well as the subsequent takeover of the clan she had once been a part of. She'd never consider surrender, not so long as the ninja was able to draw breath and was able to make a difference by putting to rest every demon infested warrior of her clan to free them from their eternal torment.

The attack two days ago had been easily pushed back and the ninja had left no survivors to report their findings to her former master, but she was certain that word would still find its way to Toki anyway since there was always at least one operative that would report either success or failure if the attacking squad didn't report back in a timely manner. The ninja had served as messenger once or twice in the early days of her training, so she knew how it worked. Eventually this place would not be safe and they'd have to move.

As much as she wanted to leave this stranger to her fate, the ninja was not about to do so since her adventure with a blonde haired Greek warrior woman and many of her friends. Sophitia and Cassandra Alexandra, Kilik, Sueng Mina, Xiunghua; all of them had had a positive impact on her life and as much as she favored working alone, the ninja smiled at the memories of their time together despite the predicament she was in now. With those memories going through her mind, the ninja remained by her charge's side through the night, even when she felt sleep overcome her and the ninja knew no more until the next morning.

Waking slowly that morning, she noticed something was different as she moved her fingers and toes, finding that whatever weakness had overcome her yesterday was much better. Trying something a little more, the young martial artist looked to her right and saw that her vision had returned and she was able to properly see who had potentially saved her life. Rubbing the sleep from her red eyes, the young woman blinked and at first thought she must still be pretty out of it since for a second there she had thought she had seen someone else sitting beside her.

_Yeah…perhaps if Yuffie actually took her job as being a ninja seriously and she was a few years older, she might have bore some resemblance to this woman…whoever she is. _She thought to herself as she noticed that her savior had since stirred and was looking right at her. "Oh…"

"You're awake, good." Having fallen asleep against the wall beside the futon she had laid out for her charge, the ninja stood and made the short trip to their respective packs and brought out a watertight brown bag of water, taking a sip first before offering the canteen to her charge. "Drink up. You've been out for the better part of the day."

"Thanks." She was still a little too weak to sit up without some assistance, but the martial artist wasn't about to complain as she took a long and quick drink from the canteen, coughing as she felt some of the cold liquid go down the wrong pipe. Still, she felt a little better when she was able to breathe normally again, feeling a little embarrassed by her foolishness. "Who…ugh…who are you?"

"Taki, formerly of the Fu-Ma ninja clan." Taki replied in that no nonsense tone of hers that would quickly become something the martial artist would associate only with her. Those hazel brown eyes and that skintight blue body suit, the shoulders down to her elbows covered in metal armor, and the matching pair of armored leg pieces that went down to the start of her feet would also be a sight she'd only be able to match with her. "Who are you?" Taki asked as she took back the canteen and sealed it tight with the cork that had come with it, tied to the neck of the bottle so it wouldn't become lost.

"Tifa Lockhart, I guess you could say I was once a member of a resistance group called AVALANCHE." Taki nodded, glad to see that her memory seemed to be intact at least although she had never heard of this group that Tifa made mention of. On the other hand she hadn't seen such well crafted clothing either that obviously weren't meant for defense as was her demon protection armor, but during her initial examination of Tifa's injuries, Taki had come to the conclusion that she was not just a young woman. Her body had the look of one heavily trained in some form of martial arts.

"Do you think you'll be able to travel soon? We can't stay here for long, and I have many questions." Taki asked, hating to rush Tifa's recovery but she didn't want to stay in the castle any longer than was absolutely necessary either, the storm having long since ceased. Another good reason that she had chosen the high ground since the snow drifts outside were big enough to make using the gates…problematic at best.

"I think so. I have questions as well but if we're in danger then we can answer each other's questions on the road." Tifa groaned as she pulled the blanket up with her, wrapping it around herself as a kind of makeshift towel. She couldn't take it with her though since it became apparent that the cover was part of the futon itself, meaning she'd be dragging the whole thing with her. "Crap, haven't used a futon in so long I forgot that part. Uh…."

Taki couldn't suppress a small chuckle at Tifa's puzzlement as she went to their bags and was able to quickly find a spare set of the woman's old outfit. "Here. Do you require privacy?" She asked, figuring that it was a little late to worry about it since Taki had seen every inch of Tifa's body already, but that had been while she had been out of commission and necessity had dictated she examine her fully anyway.

"Guess it's a little late since you did take care of my injuries, but yeah if you don't mind." Taki nodded and jumped to one of the windows in the tower before pulling herself to the roof before Tifa could say anything more. Blinking her red eyes a few times in surprise, she just shook her head and got dressed as quickly as possible. _It's a little cold out for this outfit but it's all I got. If I had known I'd end up…wherever I did I'd have packed for winter. _Tifa thought to herself with little humor as she finished zipping up her black leather jacket which left her midriff bare, pulling on her matching black leather gloves before going to her ruined outfit that was still full of her Materia Orbs.

"I wanted to ask you about those orbs." Taki said from right behind the martial artist, making Tifa jump as she turned fast on her heel, having heard nothing of the other woman's approach. Taki had jumped back and had felt her hands go for her two kodachi blades out of instinct but both women relaxed after a moment of recognition. "I apologize for startling you."

"I forgot how silent ninja could be. I have a friend like you although I don't think you'd like her much since she's a little too cheerful for some people to handle." Images of Yuffie's smiling face came to Tifa's mind and she couldn't help but once again see the two ninja standing side by side for a second before shaking the image off. Taki looked a bit puzzled by Tifa's lost expression but it was quickly replaced as the ninja watched her face become marked with deep concentration as she started to pull the glowing orbs out of her old outfit and put them into her new one.

Feeling Taki's eyes still on her, Tifa mentally slapped herself for forgetting the woman's unspoken question. "Oh yeah, sorry. It's been a while that I've had to explain what Materia Orbs are to anyone. The short version is that they are condensed magic, allowing the wielder to use a multitude of abilities, magical and otherwise. Some allow you to heal injury and poisons, while others allow you to use abilities learned from enemies in my world, while some allow you to power yourself or your allies up with a number of different effects."

"They offer you supernatural abilities without any proper training you mean." Taki was quick to retort, finding them a cheap way to gain power for those that didn't deserve it.

"For some that would be true, but with power comes responsibility, a lesson that I learned a long time ago." Taki knew it wasn't at herself those words had been directed at, but rather from her experiences which had brought her to where she was now. Her respect for the young martial artist grew since Taki could see that Tifa wasn't one of those that would abuse whatever power she possessed in whatever form it came in.

"Perhaps I was too quick with my words then if you show restraint, but actions speak far louder. For now let us drop the subject. As I asked before, do you think you can travel?" Taki asked as she crossed her arms under her chest, wanting to be gone as quickly as possible but she'd give Tifa another day if she felt she needed it.

Tifa wasn't about to say it but she still felt weak enough that another day wouldn't have been such a bad thing, but it was clear in their brief exchange that Taki was in some kind of trouble and that being on the move was the only safe bet of their continued existence. Since she had saved Tifa's life, she wasn't about to slow Taki down if she could help it. "I think so." Tifa replied, but Taki narrowed her eyes at her and she had to wonder if her attempt to put on a strong front had been seen through.

"I'm no fool Tifa. As much as I want to leave this place behind, I can tell that you are still not quite ready to travel despite your assurance to the contrary. We'll leave at dawn." Tifa wanted to argue but she was certain Taki wouldn't hesitate to subdue her if it meant her cooperation. "I didn't patch you up to see you fall on the side of the road later."

Tifa looked away shyly for a moment but turned back and offered a small smile in thanks. "Guess arguing with you would be pointless. It's ok; I just had hoped that maybe we could get out of here before whoever was after you found you again." Taki jerked her gaze back to Tifa who had since sat down against the wall, in about the same spot Taki had occupied earlier. "You saved my life so I doubt you're a bad person, doesn't mean it's not possible just I find it unlikely since you stopped in your travels to help me, so I have to assume whoever's after you isn't someone that is chasing a wanted fugitive or something."

"You catch on quickly." Taki replied as she stood in front of Tifa, having relaxed a little as she let her arms fall to her sides. "Yes, I'm on the run from my former master who's become possessed by a very powerful demonic force. It's a very long story, as I suspect yours is as well Tifa. If you decide to stay with me and we come to trust each other, I'll share what I deem safe."

"That sounds like a reasonable trade to me, Taki." Tifa replied, again catching onto the fact that Taki didn't want to reveal too much lest she ended up getting her friends caught in the crossfire if she was ever captured and tortured for information. "I thought I'd be done with fighting, but it seems you need help as well. If I can be of any assistance, I'll do what I can Taki."

"Why do you offer your aid so quickly?" Taki asked after a moment of consideration as she sat down and folded her legs up underneath her in front of Tifa. "I might have saved your life but you know nothing about me and yet you offer your help, why?" It wasn't asked in an insulting manner, Taki was just curious more than anything.

"My fight is over so I have no real reason to hurry home except to rejoin my friends and family. As long as they stay together, there's nothing they can't face. I worry about them sure but as long as I'm here, I can't just sit on the sidelines." Tifa replied in all seriousness, earning a silent nod of understanding from the ninja before her.

"You want to help and arguing with you would be pointless." Tifa and Taki shared a smile at that since it about summed up everything she had said a moment ago. A bout of silence fell between them afterward however as the wind howled through the secluded mountain fortress, just audible to the two women the only sound either of them heard until Tifa spoke once more.

"So, what's Soul Calibur?" She figured that it was as good a place as any, rubbing at her chest which had a bandage wrapped around it still from where the metal shard had been in her as a tingle passed through her body at the mere mention of it. Taki looked closely at the way Tifa seemed to shiver when she even mentioned the sword's name, hoping it wasn't a sign of trouble to come.

"There are many stories involving two ancient weapons that counter each other, that have existed for ages untold. One is Soul Calibur, while the other is called Soul Edge. Soul Calibur is a holy weapon, as far as I've been able to figure out from my travels, the only weapon capable of completely neutralizing Soul Edge for any length of time. Besides the legends and myths surrounding the two swords, not much more than that is known about either of them." Taki had searched for any information on the weapon since her troubles started when it had been discovered to have an ill effect on her own weapons, as well as those it came into contact with, either in its whole form or the shards that were scattered about the world.

"It's the first I've heard of either besides when you mentioned pulling a shard of Soul Calibur out of my chest." Tifa replied, this time able to say the name without feeling another tingle as she looked up at the stone ceiling in thought. "Well, no use worrying about it now, the question remains what do you intend to do with the shard you possess?"

"I've tried to fuse one of these before when I came across one of Soul Edge's shards. It reacted to one of my kodachi blades, making it weaker, while it made my tainted blade stronger. That's…part of the problem I've had since becoming a hunted woman because of my former master's insanity." Tifa only nodded this time when Taki looked away, sighing heavily since while she'd do anything to make sure her blade didn't fall into enemy hands, she did grow tired of always running at times.

"So you're a blacksmith as well as a ninja? Useful talents to have I imagine. So you're a demon huntress ninja on the run because of this evil Soul Edge sword you've mentioned. If I didn't come from a world where monsters, magic, and ancient beings of immense power are common, I'd find it hard to believe." Tifa shrugged since she didn't find it hard to believe at all. This world sounded just like hers in some regards, and Tifa was determined to help the ninja if at all possible since she had some experience with this kind of thing.

Taki found no trace of a mocking tone in Tifa's voice and was even more curious about her world, but the sound of the martial artist's stomach growling distracted them both. She couldn't help a small smile as she stood and went to their bags, finding some trail rations as well as a couple of rice balls she had forgotten about, wrapped in herbal leaves so they would retain their freshness. A close examination showed that they were still good and handed two of the four rice balls over to Tifa as well as three of the dozen ration strips she had before putting the rest away for later. "Thanks."

"It is no problem Tifa. We're only a week away from the nearest town and I can hunt for the both of us if the need arises." Tifa nodded as she took a bite out of the rice ball, unable to suppress a moan of pleasure at the taste that hit her mouth, earning a smile from the ninja as she too settled down for a late breakfast with her new companion. While they ate in silence, it was a comfortable one this time as the other wandered in their respective thoughts. Tifa couldn't help but think of home as well as whatever awaited her down the road now that she was part of.

It had to be easier than facing a crazed super SOLDIER who had been hell bent on destroying the world for his own twisted ends. Oh how wrong she was going to be later…

* * *

**Valentine Mansion.**

A day and a half ago, the SeeD instructor, Quistis Trepes and one of several heroines in the second Sorceress Wars, had been in the middle of another SeeD field exam when the red light hit her from behind. She had been acting as an observer on the field exam as she had last time a journey like this had started, but last time she hadn't been ripped off of her own world as she was this time.

Pain lit up her entire nervous system as the red metal shard embedded itself in her back before she had disappeared with a scream on her lips which went unheard. The battle for Timber against a rebel force that had held a grudge against their liberators from the Galbadians drowned out her cries however since the intense fighting had spread throughout the small city. She had been forced onto the front lines, her whip carving a path through anything that stood between her and her friends and students under her care.

SeeD observers and teachers participated only if there was no other choice since they were the best mercenary military group in the world over, and even their students were often times the only thing needed to see an exam through although only the truly strong and intelligent made it to the rank of SeeD. The ranks had swelled since one of her closest friends had taken over as Headmaster, although at the time he had not wanted the position, he had grown to be a fine leader. It did help however that he had fallen in love with a Sorceress along the way, but that was another matter altogether.

"_You still hold a candle for the Sorceress's pet, don't you Quistis?" Hearing an inhuman voice, she opened her eyes, or at least she thought she had until she groaned as she stood on her feet and saw that she was in a dream. It was the only thing that made sense since she was standing in a twisted parody of the Garden library, the entire area having lost any relation to the laws of physics as shelves, items, and even a few of the students dressed in the standard uniform that was common for their number were floating about the place while others were walking on the walls and ceilings._

"_You could never compare to Rinoa Heartilly and her Knight she had made out of the Garden Headmaster, and you know it." Quistis looked frantically around for the source of the inhuman voice but could find nothing as the twisted library started to smolder, smoke rising out of the ground in several places before the place caught flame a moment later. "Yes…that's it, give into your despair. You are a fool to believe you could stand up to what they possess. With me guiding your hand however, you could have it all!"_

"Do not listen!" Another voice shouted through the flames and the growing darkness as smoke started to choke the very air from her lungs. "You are being tainted by a piece of Soul Edge! I have to remove it or you will suffer a fate worse than death."

_Quistis was terrified but she had been terrified before, during the fight against Ultimecia, yet she still lived. Everyone she cared about still lived and it was because she had mastered her fear and had used it to strengthen her when she had needed it the most. She took several steadying breaths, ignoring the 'smoke and mirrors' since she realized now it was all an illusion. It was cleverly crafted perhaps, but her intelligent blue eyed gaze could see the cracks now that she was thinking rationally again. "I know my place in my 'family'. Your words are hollow, just as your hunger for power and your thirst for chaos. You will NOT have my aid in spreading your influence further!"_

"_You're a fool!" Quistis smiled and shook her head, knowing for sure that whatever this thing was trying to do was failing as she steeled her resolve against its influence. The smoke and flames started to die down as she calmed her spirit and quieted her mind, and while it took some time since the inhuman presence was still there, it was growing weaker by the minute, and they both knew it._

_Her whip appeared in her hand then as Quistis's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, challenging the unseen foe. Cracking the whip loudly, she took a hesitant step back when the creature revealed itself to her, covered in flames from head to foot but they weren't thick enough to block her view of what lay underneath as she could almost see through the demonic force that had finally stopped hiding. Powerful spectral muscles and sinew held up by a monstrous skeletal frame now stood before her, holding a matching whip although its own was covered in the same hellish fires. "I know who I am, and you will not have me."_

"_If we meet again in reality, I shall tear the very soul from your wretched body and devour it piece by piece." The threat might have worked on somebody else, but Quistis had faced enemies far more imposing than a flame covered skeleton as she cracked her whip again, driving the monster back several steps._

"_Do not make threats you lack the power to uphold! I am a SeeD, part of Balamb's military elite fighting force, trained to fight and destroy any evil Sorceresses that threaten the world. But I am more than that. To the closely knit group of friends that I've known since childhood, I am considered the 'Big Sister' of the group, and that is all I need ever be." She replied calmly, turning her back to the demon and walked out of the library, a bright light engulfing her as she opened the doors in front of her…_

Quistis gasped and had to bite back a scream as whoever was tending to her had just pulled the shard out of her back. "Lie still!" Quistis could only pant and wheeze as she nodded as best she could, her throat constricted by the pain that was ravaging her system. She'd live having suffered worse injuries than this, but spinal column damage was not something to be taken lightly. Besides that, her calm veneer shattered the moment she had regained consciousness and she felt the icy cold grip of fear on her senses again. Whoever was trying to help her noticed her quivering and put a hand to her shoulder. "It's ok. Inferno cannot hurt you anymore. Here, drink this if you can."

She had to move slowly to avoid hurting herself further, but Quistis was able to turn her head enough to allow the woman behind her to present her with some kind of drink in what appeared to be a bottle of brandy. She wanted to throw up the moment the liquid hit her tongue, but the woman persisted and eventually, Quistis managed to swallow enough of it before blissful numbness and unconscious took her. She had been mercifully drugged into a stupor.

Isabella 'Ivy' Valentine had known the moment that the stranger had arrived since she could sense the pieces of Soul Edge at a distance. The evil sword had been connected to her very being by her own foolish error in the sentient weapon's schemes, and she had had her own part to play in almost destroying the world. Despite all this, she had managed to regain her humanity and it was because of a few people that had managed to find their way into her life that she was helping this complete stranger as she was. If not for her few close friends, she most likely would have let this woman die where she lay in the middle of her mansion library and destroyed the red metal shard after it had done its work.

Instead, Ivy let her glacial blue eyes sweep over her handiwork on the woman's back before turning the full force of her wrath on the red shard that lay beside the blonde haired woman who had a whip tucked through her leather belt on her left hip. "I swore to destroy every last trace of your very existence after I realized my mistake, and I have kept my word thus far." Despite how dangerous it was to handle any piece of Soul Edge without the proper protection, Ivy knew what she was doing as she pulled her own weapon free, a mechanical whip-sword that had served her well throughout the years.

Standing to her feet, Ivy pointed the tip of her blade at the shard and mentally commanded her weapon to extend before she cocked her arm back and slashed at the metal shard on the ground. When the bladed segments of her sword connected with the piece of metal, there was a small explosion of red energy and smoke. When the smoke cleared, there was no trace of the shard. She nodded her approval before putting her blade back on her hip after it had regained its basic appearance once more before picking up the woman in her arms.

Silently walking the mostly abandoned space of her mansion, Ivy kicked open the doors to one of the nearby bedrooms that were by her own living quarters and its connected study before laying the woman out on the king sized four poster canopy bed, covered in blood red silk sheets. She made it a point to remove the woman's whip, just to be on the safe side as she carefully laid Quistis out in the middle of the bed. Most people in Ivy's position would have had servants, maids, handmaidens and more to do this, but she had secluded herself purposely for her own past crimes even if she had done them in ignorance…at least at first.

After she had realized she was serving the very weapon and its host that had destroyed her family, driven her father mad, and had turned even her into its servant for a time before she had been cursed by its dark power, Ivy had made it her life's mission to destroy every piece of the weapon she came across, by any means necessary. She had callously killed men, women, even children if the need arose, but eventually a few brave souls had made her see reason once again. One in particular more than the others had helped her regain a measure of her heart, a youth with beautiful blue eyes and pointy ears which marked him as something other than human.

She shook her head and looked down at the woman she had found this night, sighing heavily since it seemed that her isolation was going to come to an end. "I just hope I was not too late." Ivy whispered to herself, finding it almost amusing that she cared at all, but she had the few people she trusted these days for her change of heart. Despite her self induced isolation, Ivy still retained what her friends had taught her, at the point of a sword at first since she had been unwilling to listen during their first days together.

Again she forced herself out of her memories and Ivy saw that this newcomer was sleeping peacefully, at least for the moment. The next twenty four hours would determine what followed, but if her alchemical concoction she had all but shoved down the blonde woman's throat did its job, she'd be up and about by this time tomorrow.

She underestimated how strong the woman was however as she found her guest in her study twelve hours later, looking a little unsteady on her feet but otherwise alright. "I had not expected you up so soon." Ivy said over the book she was reading, having heard the door to her study give a rather loud creak as it was opened. Putting the book down on the grand oak desk she sat behind, Ivy Valentine and Quistis Trepe examined each other closely for several seconds, trying to gain a measure of the other in the process.

Ivy cut an imposing, regal figure in the blood red dress she wore that hugged her curvaceous body like a second skin. The front of her dress was low cut to the point that her breasts would have surely popped free if she moved the wrong way by Quistis's not so humble opinion. Somehow though they did not as their blue eyes met, almost having to look away given the glacial ice that covered Ivy's irises, but the Instructor kept her gaze, finding it a point of interest since few people could cow her so easily with just a look. The woman's soft yet pale skin was matched by the silver hair that hung at her neck, partially covering up her left eye.

Ivy found Quistis to be of equal interest since few people could ever sustain their gaze with her for long, especially if they knew her past. The younger woman's eyes were almost crystal blue in nature, seeming to sparkle with warmth and understanding. It probably fit her personality as well, especially if the few words Ivy had caught during her battle against just a piece of Soul Edge's power was anything to go by. _Instructor _and _Garden _were the most clear of the lot, although she would have sworn she heard _Big Sister _in there as well.

That aside, Ivy nodded her approval of the red vest and black pants combo that her younger counterpart wore, finding it practical if a bit plain. The woman's blonde locks that framed her face and was tied up in a neat little ponytail on the back of her head also suited her overall image. She almost missed Quistis's words, so caught up in her examination. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

"Don't." Ivy was quick to respond, catching Quistis off guard since she had put some of her old coldness in her voice once more without meaning to. She sighed and looked away, feeling a bit of shame for her knee jerk response. "It's…been a while since I've had company and if you knew why, you'd most likely hate and fear me as many people rightfully do."

Quistis nodded, having met a few people of similar ilk in the past, and while most of them she had helped put down had not been repentant in the least, she did not mistake Ivy for one of the true monsters she had come across during her career as a SeeD. "You'd be surprised by what I've seen and experienced for myself. Despite your own admittance, you do not strike me as the sort that does not deserve a second chance."

"Just because I saved your life does not mean the scales are balanced in my favor, nor did I ask for your opinion!" Ivy snapped, standing to her feet before slamming her hands onto the desk's surface. Quistis did not move a muscle and simply let the storm run its course. Understanding and emphatic were more accurate as Ivy realized her rage was being analyzed if the thoughtful expression the younger woman's face was anything to go by.

"You've secluded yourself because of a past you've hinted at, one that perhaps contains much in the way of bloodshed caused by your hand and your hand alone. Whatever the reason behind it, the fact you put me back together tells me that you aren't as cold as you'd like others to believe. You isolate yourself because you do not wish to hurt anyone else if you can avoid it because of some driving purpose behind your every action. Besides, you could have just as easily patched me up and sold me into slavery, yet here I stand."

Intelligent, understanding, and empathetic; a dangerous combination to possess since in some cases, such a combination could be twisted to make the worst dictators and monsters the world had ever seen. Ivy sat down and sighed heavily again as she watched Quistis push her silver rimmed glasses a little higher up her nose with a single finger before letting her hands fold over themselves in front of her. "You've figured all that out in just a few short moments. It's true, but it is none of your…"

"…business?" Ivy had to blink in confusion since she hadn't expected Quistis to finish her sentence, although she had been about to use another word altogether but it was close enough to still be a bit startling in its accuracy. The Instructor put a hand to her face and chuckled. "I must apologize, but the way you said that reminded me of one of my friends back home. He is, or was a lone wolf type of person and the more I interact with you, the more I see him in your own mannerisms, at least to some degree anyway."

Ivy couldn't suppress a small smile from uplifting her full ruby red lips as she nodded in understanding to Quistis's words. "I see. Perhaps I've lived alone for too long. I do have my reasons for being the way I am, but if….you can somehow see past the monster I was in the past, then perhaps until we can find a way to send you back, you could…stay here for a while."

Quistis nodded and held out her hand to Ivy who was slow to take it but eventually she did as their fingers wrapped firmly around the other's over the desk between them. "It sounds like a good arrangement as any I'll most likely get, wherever I am. My name is Quistis Trepe, an Instructor at the military academy called Balamb Garden. It is a pleasure to meet you miss…?"

"Isabella 'Ivy' Valentine." Ivy replied simply, figuring that her status as a 'Lady' of some importance spoke for itself as they firmly shook hands. Whatever came next, would depend on the future, but for once in what felt like ages, Ivy felt a little ray of hope enter her heart once more.

* * *

**City of Water.**

Three days away from the City of Water, Siegfried had come across a female knight just as some kind of red disturbance spat her out face first in the dirt. Ever since regaining his sanity, he had made it a point to do all in his power to redeem himself, especially after severing his cursed connection to the evil sword, Soul Edge. So the question was not if he should help her, but rather what would come later since he avoided people as much as possible because of his past crimes, some of which he hadn't needed the help of an evil sword to commit.

So when he had turned her over and saw that she had a piece of that same bastardly sword embedded in her chest, Siegfried was alarmed since he had just dealt with Soul Edge only two weeks ago. He had moved down the coast, trying to put as much distance from himself and the Ostriheimsburg Chapel as possible in as short as time as possible, and now he had this to deal with? But all it took was the woman's groan of pain as she thrashed weakly where she lay for the man to make up his mind. He needed a safe place to work, and he needed to remove that shard as quickly as possible before she became forever lost to its dark power.

_She was looking at herself in the mirror in her private quarters in Alexandria Castle, and what she saw there did not please her. It wasn't her physical appearance that was the problem, she had never been vain, had never really been concerned with her appearance in that sense. No, it was what she saw with her single good eye, behind her single good eye to be precise that disgusted her and made her wish she was somebody, anybody but who she was._

_Despite what the others thought, despite what she showed them, she had not gotten rid of the mask she had worn for so long that it might as well have become a part of her very flesh, she had simply replaced it with another. It hid the pain of her past mistakes, of her blind and unwavering loyalty which had slowly ate away at her soul, making her into something she couldn't stand to see in any reflective surface when she bothered to look past her physical shell._

'_You vowed to protect the royal family. You honored those vows….yet you became a monster in the process, serving an ever greater monster when her husband died, and you did it willingly and without question until she threatened to kill her own adopted daughter.' She knew this and the innocent people she had slaughtered in the name of her queen stared at her accusingly in the mirror she now faced. But there was something else there now, something behind the faces of the dead. She had faced down a hundred armed men in single combat and won. She had never shown or felt fear in any battle she had ever become a part of._

_The flaming beast that was in the shape of a man but obviously was not that stood silently and stared at her with malevolent glee terrified her to the very core of her being._

Siegfried had since gotten a fire going in a secluded patch of forest that was on a high cliff face facing away from the City of Water. He had luckily gotten the woman's blade off of her and had just started with the armor she wore before she started to thrash more violently than before. He was of considerable size and strength and had always been considered one of the strongest men walking the earth, but despite her small frame, (small compared to him anyway,) the woman had strength to match his own and it took almost all of his to hold her down. "I don't know if you can hear me but this is for your own good! I have to remove that shard before it taints your very soul. Calm down, hold onto your most precious memories and do not let the darkness consume you further!"

_She heard the man's words but they sounded distant, as if coming from some deep dark cave or as if she was listening in a deep pool. Either way she got the gist of his message and while she couldn't meet that thing's gaze, she could look past it and search inside herself for the strength she needed now._

Siegfried breathed a sigh of relief when the woman stopped thrashing and he was able to peel away her blood stained garments before he was able to get to the shard itself. He only reached for it once with his bare hand before realizing that was a bad idea when the shard started to sink deeper into her body. He figured as much but wanted to be sure as he dug into his first aid kit and pulled out a pair of forceps. While simple in design they'd get the job done as he grabbed hold of the red glowing fragment and started to pull. "Keep focusing on anything that means the world to you. It'll help you get through this."

_The young knight felt a growing pain in her chest but the horrible creature in the mirror started to disappear, the flames consuming it dieing down as well as whatever the man outside was doing seemed to be helping. "I am General Beatrix, formerly of Treno, protector to the royal family, leader of the armies of Alexandria and defender of its people. You will not best me! I have fought against a hundred men single handedly and won. Compared to them, you are an insignificant insect!"_

"_I will remember that when I feast upon your soul!" Despite the inhuman quality to the creature's voice, Beatrix had regained her iron will and did not look away again. She clenched her hands into tight fists before smashing the mirror in front of her before the room she stood within disappeared around her._

Beatrix awoke with a gasp as the shard finally came loose and she groaned as pain flared through her chest. "Lie still. I have to bind the wound." The woman could only nod her head before falling to the ground once more, but not before she saw the glowing red fragment tossed to the side for the moment. Her vision was blurry and she couldn't stay conscious for much longer, but she was able to ask one question.

"Who…are you?"

"Siegfried Schtauffen." Siegfried replied as he was stopped by one of the woman's hands pulling him close. He met her single good eye and found all the thanks she could give before she passed out from her ordeal against Soul Edge's influence. "You're welcome, General Beatrix." He whispered, having heard her words against whatever had been tormenting her inside her mind and they had held her considerable strength behind every one of them. Whoever this woman was, he had a feeling she'd make a fine ally in the coming war against the nightmarish blade that had made a mockery of him for far too long, and had used him for its own twisted ends. It was unlikely they'd have to worry about it for some time, but he wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.

Gently wrapping his fingers around the woman's hand that still hung from his shoulder, Siegfried laid it on Beatrix's bandaged chest and pulled the blankets he had wrapped her in a little higher before going to the fire pit he had set up. Despite his wish to remain secluded, it seemed fate had other ideas. He sighed heavily but accepted it for now. She was obviously a stranger to his world, knowing for a fact that the two Soul Blades were able to travel to other realms, but this was the first time they had pulled warriors from other realms into this one. At least, as far as he knew it was the first time anyway.

No…that wasn't entirely accurate. Link had been one such warrior from another realm that had come to fight against Soul Edge's evil influence on this one. Link had helped free Siegfried from Nightmare's control, and it had been Link that had helped put Siegfried back together again, to some extent at least. That had been three years ago now and just as quickly as he had appeared; the Hero of Time had gone back to his world. Despite the short time they had known each other; Siegfried had considered the young Hylian from Hyrule almost like the son he had yet to have and most likely would never get due to his violent past and his own unresolved sins he still bore.

"As long as Soul Edge exists, I can never be free."

The next morning saw the two respective knights awaken to the sight of a beautiful sunrise as it slowly ascended the heavens. Despite still being weakened considerably from her close encounter with the red shard from Soul Edge's blade, Beatrix opened her one good eye and saw the man that had saved her life tending to the camp before seeing that she had awoken. "I thank you Sir Siegfried Schtauffen for saving my life, for I have no doubt you did anything less than that." Beatrix said as she pulled down the covers a little so that they didn't rest on her wounded chest more than was necessary.

Siegfried had since turned from his duties and offered a sad smile before he knelt by her side. "It was the right thing to do. Besides, I've had…my fair share of experiences with the blade that shard originated from." Beatrix coughed weakly but otherwise said nothing, wondering what demons this man possessed as she noted the deep pain behind his eyes. They both seemed to have their fair share of inner turmoil.

"Not everyone would be so willingly to help a complete stranger Sir Siegfried." Beatrix replied, glad of the canteen that was given to her as she took a slow and measured sip, knowing that after suffering an injury like this one, it was best to take it slow. Siegfried looked away but the woman saw a small smile form on his face since he knew she was right. Not everyone WOULD have helped a stranger out of the goodness of their hearts. Some would have helped themselves to their money first, if not more.

Still, he was not the 'knight in shining armor' despite what appearances said to the contrary. His smile died and he looked towards the rising sun before speaking once more. "You would not be so quick to give thanks if you knew of my past Lady Beatrix."

"We have both sinned many times Sir Siegfried, so do not assume that my hands are much cleaner than yours, if they are at all." That got Siegfried's attention as it was Beatrix that looked away this time, remembering the countless battles she had participated in at the behest of another's word and their word alone. Blind loyalty and her legendary skill with a blade had earned her many names, none of them flattering in the least, and all of them had been true to some extent or another.

'_Child killer. She who fell one-hundred men. The merciless rose soldier. The best swordswoman on the continent.' _So lost was she in her own past that she didn't immediately hear Siegfried say her name. She blinked her one good eye and sat up slowly, facing the man again although she was slow to do so. "It's nothing." She said to the puzzled look on the man's face, having shared too much as it were without even being properly introduced, let alone gaining any amount of trust for the knight beside her. "Just…remembering old wounds."

She did owe him some explanation though since he had saved her life. "If you want to understand me, at least partially, then perhaps this song that was written by the new Queen of my land will help you fill in some of the blanks Sir Siegfried. It…fits me quite well."

She wasn't the best singer in the world, but neither was she any slouch as Beatrix closed her single eye and started in on the song that had been written by Queen Garnet Til Alexandros. She had put it together as a way to honor Beatrix's change of heart, and to serve as a lesson to any that served as blindly as she had before realizing the error of her ways. Beatrix herself would never forget the first time she heard it, but that was for later consideration.

"_Her heart underneath  
cries quietly  
this part of me  
I choose not to see._

What lives must I take  
for fealty's sake?  
How much blood must stain  
this warrior's blade?

War leaves its trail  
in moonlight so pale  
its shadows they flow  
in rivers, in rivers.  
So put on my mask  
I'll go where they ask  
so I might once again see the  
Roses of May.

Staining my soul and stinging my eyes  
the red on my hands  
won't wash away, wash away.  
No where to run from what I have done.  
I'm no longer, no longer  
a Rose of May.

Fate holds the blade before you  
mirrored in maiden's eyes.  
Far from myself I fly  
into the perilous skies  
and they said  
follow the blade before you  
fear fall and courage rise.  
Leave all your tears behind you  
far from where innocence lies.

Cage of the kings.  
No need for wings.  
So turn them to stone  
from roses to bone.

When you look at me  
what do you see?  
This costume I weave  
disfiguring me...

Storm clouds are creeping closer  
danger is drawing near.  
Why am I not protecting all that  
I once held dear?  
And you said  
break free from all that holds you  
kings hand and maiden's tear  
run now into my arms  
together we'll conquer our fears

Led here by fate  
No longer afraid  
So here now I lay  
My Roses of May."

A small stream of tears had fallen down her face but Beatrix paid them no mind as she looked up at Siegfried's face, and found nothing there she could easily read. When he finally did speak, it was not what she expected. Perhaps she had hoped he'd tell her exactly how much of a damn fool she had been, but what came out of his mouth instead was comforting and a much needed balm to her tortured soul.

"I take it that you became a knight at a very young age, and you took your vows of fealty at an equally young age. You took your duties seriously, proudly, and for the longest time without regret or needing to 'hide behind your mask' until you got your first true taste of war. It changes you, a fact I know all too well. No matter how you try to prepare for it, no one is truly ready when they take their first life. Death is final, it cannot be changed or taken back, and it leaves its stain behind on a person's soul regardless if you are merely an observer or the one dealing it out. I have been both an observer and the one ending lives. I know how it feels, and you can easily become desensitized to it. It's…a necessary evil protecting our homes as we do so that others don't have to or are unable to, but some take it too far."

Siegfried's solemnly made speech was dead on since she had heard it before, but something about the way he delivered it resonated within her being. She didn't necessarily feel better about her past deeds, but she didn't necessarily feel worse either. "It becomes too easy to lose yourself to the violence, to learn to enjoy crushing the life out of the enemy before you until one day you look in the mirror and you don't recognize who you've become. I was never asked to murder children, but some days I wonder if I wouldn't have hesitated when I first realized how far I had fallen." Beatrix replied, shivering as a phantom chill hit her at the thought.

"So what changed?" Beatrix looked up to Siegfried, confusion at first present on her face until he repeated the question. "So what changed to make you who you are now?"

Beatrix was at a loss for words for only a moment, but a slowly growing smile appeared on her face despite the sorrow still present on her face as well. "I started to doubt what I was doing was the right course when the then Queen callously considered having her own daughter executed as a traitor. We were on the war path and Queen Brahne had grown drunk with power. To hear her say that though….I had sworn to protect the royal family and from everything that had happened up to that point, even if the then Princess had helped start the war in a sense, she had done what she could to prevent it from happening in the first place."

"She tried to stop her mother who had already shown signs of preparing for this war you speak of?" Beatrix nodded since that was the gist of it. "Continue."

"Adopted mother but that's…a whole other story." That secret was already known by the public so it mattered little if she shared it with Siegfried. "A group that had been interfering in Brahne's affairs for most of the war had assaulted the castle while we were still returning and had gotten to the Princess's side. It was when I saw her under the influence of a powerful sleeping spell that I finally woke up to the truth. I was no longer serving my country that had all but adopted me as one of their own despite my fearsome reputation I had garnered by then. I was serving one mad woman's ambition, and her way promised rivers of blood that would never end." Beatrix finished, only then feeling a somewhat large weight lift from her shoulders since it was the first time she had told even half of her story to anyone that didn't already know parts of it before hand.

Siegfried rose to his feet, having felt his right leg fall asleep from his sitting position but he never let his blue eyes leave the woman's face. "I sense there is more to your tale Lady Beatrix, but you've told me more than enough for me to realize that you are a better woman than you yourself seem to believe. When you've rested and are able to travel, I have business to tend to in the nearby city. If you don't run away screaming from my side after I tell you of my own story that in some ways matches your own, then perhaps you can help me atone for my own past and perhaps, doing the same for yourself as well."

That got the Rose of May's attention as she watched Siegfried wander off for now, most likely scouting the area for trouble and to allow her time alone with her thoughts. She laid back onto the bed roll that had been given to her and looked up at the brightening sky. Whatever may come, she still owed Queen Garnet her protection, so if it meant traveling with this Siegfried to make sure she got back to her world, if it was even a possibility, then so be it. Come what may, she was still a knight and she was still bound by her oaths, sworn foolishly in her youth perhaps, but one of them at least allowed her to defend those she deemed worthy of her blade.

Siegfried had proven that much simply by tending to her wounds, both physical and otherwise if his words during her nightmare riddled entrapment was anything to go by along with the words he had spoken about the piece of red metal and its source. If there was a threat to this world that needed to be put down, home land or not, Beatrix was going to do whatever she could to see this land brought to some level of peace.

To do anything less, would be to dishonor herself and her Queen she loved almost like a daughter. Considering she had protected Garnet for most of her life, it made sense she'd feel that way about the young woman. _I just hope Adelbert Steiner doesn't make a mess of things in the meantime._ The thought made her smile sadly as she sighed once again.

Unaware she had fallen asleep until Siegfried woke her up again; Beatrix opened her eye and saw that the sun was well on its way over the horizon. "You needed the rest, but I think we have company." She didn't ask how he knew as she looked around the camp site, seeing nothing but that didn't change the fact she too felt like they were being watched.

"Get me my sword." The stern command behind the soft spoken words befitted the title she bore back home, and Siegfried didn't hesitate as Beatrix jumped out of the bedroll and immediately starting getting herself presentable for a fight if it came to such.

He hadn't been paying attention before, but when he turned around, Siegfried had to stop and gawk at the beautiful woman that now stood with the sunlight at her back as she dressed in a spare set of clothing that matched her old ones almost perfectly.

Beatrix was a tall, slender, and curvy woman with chestnut brown hair. She wore a silver eye patch over her right eye, with the left being a purple/reddish color. Wore far less armor than Siegfried did, which made it obvious she was used to being able to move quickly over the battlefield. Beatrix also put on a red and white sleeveless duster with a rose embroidered on the back, over a pair of reddish-brown leggings tucked within a pair of armored boots. She donned a pair of armored gloves and strapped additional armor on her right arm. A large belt was secured around her waist at an angle, holding her sword, Save the Queen, after Siegfried was able to stop staring and hand the magnificent blade back to its rightful owner.

"What are you staring at man? Let's move." Siegfried shook his head and while he wasn't used to taking orders from anyone these days, he nodded and oddly enough felt comfortable following behind the Rose of May as they left their campsite behind. When they entered the forest proper, he could have swore he saw a flicker of fire in an orb like container situated in a green skinned man's chest.

_That wasn't….was it? It couldn't have been him. _Siegfried thought to himself, having thought that Talim, a wind priestess and another good friend, had purified the beast that was stalking them. "Be careful, if this enemy is who I think it is; then he will prove to be an unpredictable opponent, able to copy many other people's weapons and skills with them." If his warning was supposed to invoke a sense of caution, Beatrix didn't seem to heed him as she brushed her hair back with her free hand while the other rested on her blade's pommel.

"You have not seen me fight; otherwise you would not think to caution me against taking this monster on." Beatrix replied in that cold tone of voice he'd learn was reserved for her enemies alone. She hadn't bothered to look over her shoulder to say it either, and it was probably just as well as Necrid, a former human being, now a twisted abomination thanks to Soul Edge, decided to attack as he leapt out of the shadows. The two energy blades in his hands were blocked the next second as Save the Queen was held up over her head in one hand against the might Necrid threw at her. Siegfried had not seen her move, he had only seen the aftermath as she actually pushed the creature back with at least some effort before they stared at the other.

Unintelligible growls issued in challenge was all the two warriors heard, but Beatrix only nodded, sensing some level of intelligence behind the man's attempt at speech. "If you want an honorable warrior's death, then you shall get one." She didn't expect him to lie down and die, she expected a fight since the way he carried himself spoke of a warrior and while he had been twisted beyond all recognition, the signs were still there to read as they circled each other. Despite still feeling weakened from her wounds before, Beatrix was not about to back down from this.

Siegfried stood off to the side since he knew better than anyone that some battles were better fought alone.

* * *

**Eurydice Shrine – Gate of the Gods.**

_She felt…light. Opening her mismatched eyes, the former Summoner looked around and saw that she was floating high above the ground, a faint blue trail behind her as she ascended higher. She did not feel a shred of fear of falling or of becoming trapped in any sense of the word, yet something still didn't seem right about all this. "Am I…?" No, she was sure after asking herself the partial question that she was still alive and well, but it still didn't make any sense all the same._

_The last thing she remembered was lying on the beach of Besaid Island with her friends. They had been celebrating Vidna's birthday, the four year old boy belonging to Wakka and Lulu, and all of her old friends…except Auron, had been there. Yuna and Tidus had been on the water's edge with the little bundle of joy, and then…she was here._

She had been found in the Shrine, just as her dreams had told her where the stranger would be. It wasn't the first time the Athenian warrior woman had been given prophetic dreams from the god of the forge, Hephaestus, and Sophitia Alexandra was certain it would not be the last. Having found the strangely clad young woman face down on the stone floor of the shrine just yesterday evening, she and her younger sister Cassandra had moved their guest to the family home that was partially down the west side of the mountain top.

"I hope she's alright. You sure she didn't show up earlier in the day sis?" Cassandra asked as she gathered the rest of her sister's needed tools, hoping the piece of Soul Calibur that was embedded in the stranger's lower chest would come out without hurting her further.

Sophitia nodded as she looked away from her work for a moment, glad that Cassandra was here to help her with this despite her plans to leave once again. "I'm sure, help me with the light." Cassandra didn't have to be asked twice as the younger of the Alexandra sisters held up a small metal lantern, the candle inside providing just enough light to allow Sophitia to work. She noted a minute tremor in her sister's hands however but wisely kept her mouth shut, having a feeling that despite how quickly Taki had removed the shards, Sophitia still had residual energy from Soul Edge running through her. Being this close to a piece of Soul Calibur probably wasn't helping.

She did smile though as she heard Sophitia whisper a few words to herself and her hands seemed to steady a moment later. "Gods, give me strength." Whether it was enough to give her the focus she needed or an answer to her prayers to the gods she believed in, Cassandra wasn't sure but either way, she held the lantern steady as Sophitia started to dig out the blue glowing shard with the first aid tools she had arrayed beside them.

_Finally coming to rest on solid pure white marble stone, Yuna again had to wonder if she had wound up in a variant of the Farplane since no place on Spira could be this beautiful. Pure white clouds covered the gold and white stone structures that were around her, reminding her of sacred temple grounds in a sense. The sun shone brightly yet staring into its warming light didn't hurt her eyes in the least, giving everything a pleasant glow. "Yuna. You've grown so strong and beautiful, just like your mother."_

_Turning around quickly, Yuna couldn't at first believe her eyes since the man standing in front of her had been dead for years. Again she wondered if she had somehow fallen ill and had passed away in her sleep, but the man before her shook his head as if reading her mind. "You're very much alive, Yuna, I promise. But we don't have much time to talk."_

"_Father? Then…how is this possible?" She asked, having never thought she'd be talking to her father again since he had been dead since she had turned seven years old. She was twenty three now, and she had long since come to terms with what had happened. It helped she had put the monstrous being, Sin, down for good where so many summoners had failed, but that was a very long story, and as Lord High Summoner Braska had said already, they didn't have much time. "Why am I here?"_

"_Because Yuna, you've been taken out of Spira by a power that is not of Spira. If it was up to me I'd have let you live in peace since you've done so much and have not been allowed the peace you deserve twice over. You brought the Eternal Calm, ending the cycle of death and destruction that Spira faced thanks to Yu Yevon's wrath that had been allowed to run its course for far too long, and you stopped Vegnagun and Shuyin as well. And still, you are called to fight, this time for a world that is not your own, and I know you too well Yuna, and I know you'll fight for them. I just…" Braska looked away but didn't have to hear his daughter's footsteps to know she was coming closer before he felt her head against his chest and her arms around his waist._

"_You told me in your movie spheres that my friends, family, and the man I love found along our journey that you'd be proud of the path I chose, regardless of what that path might have been. If I am needed to fight once more, then I will, but it'll be because I choose to do so, for the right reasons. I will not sacrifice myself for a fool's errand as had been the tradition of Yevon's followers until we found a way to break the cycle. You don't have to worry, father." Braska smiled warmly down at his little girl as their eyes met, his own arms wrapped tightly around Yuna's slender frame._

"_You're just like your mother, hoping for a better future, and you've grown so strong, stronger than even I who fell for the trap of the Final Aeon and Yu Yevon's ability to take control of it when the Final Summoning consumed me. I regret only not seeing you grow into who you are now, Yuna, and I regret that your mother never saw you grow into who you are today as well. Whenever the path becomes too hard to push onward, just remember that strength you've rightfully earned, and press onward as you have through everything else." That feeling of wrongness returned as Yuna felt her hands pass through her father's image, realizing that he was disappearing right before her mismatched eyes._

_She felt tears flowing freely down her face as she watched him disappear in countless points of golden light before pain started to radiate from her lower chest. Before she knew what was going on now, Yuna fell backward and realized only after she had passed through the pure white marble that she was in free fall…_

She came awake and gasped loudly, her vision blurry and unfocused as two sets of hands held her down as she thrashed about in the bed before reality caught up with her. She stilled and took several steadying breaths, her eyes still wet with her tears from seeing her father again. Apparently seeing his ghost like that had reopened old wounds, but Yuna slowly beat those feelings of loss down until she could get her throat to work past the lump that had formed there. "Who…are you?" She coughed, feeling that same pain in her chest she had felt in…had it been a dream? A vision? She wasn't sure, but it didn't matter now.

"You're safe, I promise. I'm Sophitia Alexandra." The older woman's hands fell away and Yuna noticed that she seemed tired, but one look outside the window she could see from the bed told her it was the middle of the night, so that was understandable, except when she looked to the younger of the two Yuna wondered if there was more to it. Seeing where her gaze had fallen, Sophitia looked to Cassandra and smiled, her sister having just lost the worried look on her face which hadn't been directed at their guest in the least now that the worst was over.

"Oh hey, Cassandra Alexandra." Cassandra was quick to add in, hoping that her sister hadn't noticed her worry for what the blue shard of metal that was now just lying on the ground between them was likely doing to Sophitia just by being present. She had a tendency to be stubborn and look after others before taking care of herself, and Cassandra knew it. She didn't like to appear weak and tried to shoulder other people's burdens to the point that it almost killed her, but she had her sister, her husband, and her two children that kept her in check, for the most part.

"Thank you…for helping me." Yuna replied, earning a warm and inviting smile from Sophitia that spoke loudly of her gentle and compassionate nature. Cassandra just grinned widely and nodded, speaking of a carefree attitude but again that same compassionate streak was obvious in the younger sister's face. Cassandra reminded Yuna of Rikku in a sense, but exhaustion claimed her before she could think of much else and closed her eyes before succumbing to sleep.

After cleaning and bandaging the wound, Sophitia finally stood and about fell to her hands and knees if not for Cassandra's quick actions as she supported Sophitia against her right shoulder and started towards the door to the main hallway of their home. "Thank you…sis."

"Don't mention it. Come on, she'll be fine until morning. You shouldn't push yourself so hard." Sophitia managed a weak smile and while she knew Cassandra was right, it wasn't in her nature to do anything less. "I know, it's useless to tell you otherwise but I still have to say it, y'know?"

"I know sister, and I know you're right, but maybe, one day, when you have a family of your own and you've grown older, you'll understand why I protect and care for everyone as passionately as I do." Cassandra rolled her eyes and Sophitia laughed lightly, having a feeling that even if she did 'settle down', she'd never lose her free spirited attitude and would most likely give any husband of hers a run for their money. "Never grow up Cassandra."

That caught Cassandra off guard as they stopped in the hallway on their way to their separate bedrooms, Sophitia's husband soundly asleep in their own since only an earthquake could hope to stir him after a day at the forge. "Sophitia…"

"I wouldn't know you any other way than you are now. It's your faith in yourself that makes you stronger than even me who has a family to protect, with my life if it's required. I have faith in the gods, but you believe in your own strength, and that makes you stronger in your own way, so I'll say it again. Never grow up Cassandra, keep your free spirit, no matter what." Cassandra was more than a little worried that something was going to happen now since it was rare that Sophitia said anything like this. The last time she had, Taki had brought her home with news that Sophitia had had almost a dozen shards in her body from Soul Edge. She still had one, too close to her heart to safely remove, which was why the piece belonging to Soul Calibur had reacted poorly with her.

"Hey, don't you think about disappearing on me again Sophitia." Cassandra was quick to retort, but Sophitia smiled and shook her head, silently conveying, she hoped, that she didn't plan to go anywhere. "You better not. I don't want to have to go chasing after you again."

"Just be sure you take care of that shard belonging to the holy sword, dear sister. I'll be fine in the morning, I promise." Cassandra didn't reply as she watched Sophitia silently make her way to Rothion's side, the door to their shared bedroom shutting behind her with a quite click as the lock fell in place behind her. She still couldn't shake the bad feeling that something was coming, but Cassandra didn't waste any time pondering over it as she went back to the guest bedroom where they had tucked their visitor away for now.

"You better be fine. As for you…" She knelt and picked up the blue piece of metal once she was back before looking at it closely. "Damn you both to wherever you came from." She clenched her fist tightly around the shard before heading outside and to the edge of the mountain their town resided upon. Pulling her arm back, Cassandra was about to let it fly before feeling her sword resonate with the blue piece of metal. "Oh come on! Are you serious?! You chose to react to a piece of Soul Calibur?!" She growled as she looked over her shoulder to the sword and shield she kept close at hand, just in case her sister did decide to disappear on another mad quest against the evil sword Soul Edge.

"Fine! I won't throw it away….as much as I want to for all the trouble you've caused my family." Cassandra whispered, sighing heavily as she stalked off to put it in a safe place that hopefully wouldn't bother Sophitia unless she got too close to it. Where she planned to take it that would be very unlikely though.

The next morning, Yuna stretched and yawned mightily, still feeling a little sore but she overall felt a lot better. Besides the small ache where she had had some piece of glowing blue metal embedded there, she felt fine and she could see again. Remembering her meeting with her long dead father however made tears appear in her eyes once more, but Yuna was able to push the emotions back, and just in time as the door to her room opened and revealed one of the sisters. "Oh hey, good to see my sister's still got it."

"Cassandra, right?" Cassandra nodded, and Yuna noticed that she still looked a little worried. "Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, of course!" Cassandra was quick to reply, hiding behind a smile that didn't quite reach her sea green eyes. Yuna vaguely remembered seeing a pair of jewel like green eyes from the older sister and a darker shade of blonde hair that had framed her face but not much else. Cassandra had a similar look about her, but where Sophitia's face had appeared warm and inviting yet a bit pale and monotonous, Cassandra's was similar enough that the former summoner could see the resemblance but there were differences as well.

Cassandra's youthful appearance again made her think of Rikku, her cousin and one of her closest friends since both had a fire in their eyes that was contagious. They were both cheerful, impulsive to the point they could be called reckless, but that was where the similarities ended. Cassandra possessed an air of youthful brash and bluntness to her that was clear to see the way she carried herself. The way she spoke also spoke of the traits Yuna had noticed already, but behind her rough speech was an underlying tone of compassion that was similar to her older sister.

"Do I have a bug on my face or something?" Yuna blushed and looked away, earning a teasing smile from Cassandra for her trouble. "Heh, it's ok. So, feeling up to walking around? I'm guessing you've got a lot of questions. I know I would if I was found in some temple shrine on top of a giant mountain."

"Yes, just let me get changed first." Cassandra looked to the side, having not seen a pack anywhere where they had found their guest. So when a bright white light appeared around the woman which disappeared a few seconds later, Cassandra had to jump back in surprise since the guest's old clothes had disappeared and had been replaced by a whole other outfit entirely. "That's a useful magic trick." She said after recovering from the initial shock, nodding her approval of the outfit. "You'll have to show me that sometime since it would sure save me the trouble of having to get dressed in the morning."

Yuna laughed but shook her head since it wasn't magic, persay. "It's…complicated, something from where I come from. I wasn't sure it'd work here to tell the truth, but I'm glad it does." Cassandra shrugged since it didn't matter to her either way as Yuna stood and stretched once more. She had felt it appropriate to go with her a variant of her old summoner robes since despite the sword and shield Cassandra had on her back, the Greek woman had on a white robe that hung off of one shoulder and brown leather shoes that had a series of straps going up her legs before stopping at a simple leather band at the top of the shoe that was just shy of her knee.

Yuna's outfit consisted of a white kimono minus the sleeves, leaving her arms bare except for a tattoo on her right shoulder. In her Gunner Dressphere form, that tattoo would have been on her chest in plain sight for all to see since her outfit had a lightning bolt opening on the front. This one was still cut low, but not as low, revealing the top of her breasts but not much else.

Tidus had said that she had started to become her old silent, reserved, and proper self again and maybe he had been right, but Yuna had made a few alterations to the outfit to reflect she still possessed her adventurous nature as well.

The slightly low cut front was one, and the slits running up either side of the black plaited dress she wore was another which allowed her the freedom of movement she preferred when fighting. A matching black sheath lay between her shoulder blades, held in place by the yellow sash around her middle which was tied with an intricate knot around the sheath's middle where her staff resided.

Pulling her Dresssphere out from between her breasts, Yuna ran a quick check and frowned since some of her old outfits were not available for some reason, but she shrugged since she still had more than enough so she wasn't stuck in one all the time. Cassandra merely watched in fascination. "Are you good to go?"

"I think so. Thanks for being patient Cassandra." Yuna replied, smiling freely and without restraint, and despite wondering if she'd ever see her old friends and family again, Yuna found she was excited to go on another adventure. Whatever lay ahead of her now, she'd face it with the strength of her friends behind her, even if they weren't physically present to support her now. The memories of their time together would be more than enough, and it seemed she had potential new friends to make along the way.

Cassandra found the woman's appearance to be kind of pretty, even without the strange 'magic' or whatever it had been that allowed her to change outfits. "Just don't pull that magic trick more than you have to. Some people around here might not appreciate it much."

"I hadn't thought of that." She'd have to be careful she didn't startle someone by using her Dresssphere as she had. It had never occurred to her to be careful before since it was a common thing now back on Spira, but here it seemed technology hadn't caught up with her world. "Where are we anyway?"

"Athens, Greece. Normally I'd wonder if you hadn't hit your head, asking a question like that, but my sister already explained to me that you come from another world or realm or whatever and she's yet to be wrong before about strange things like you popping up out of thin air for instance." Yuna looked at Cassandra in puzzlement but amusement as well since she had been right about the young woman's personality. "Oh…guess it helps to explain that my sister tends to get visions from time to time. She's big on the gods and signs and all that hocus pocus."

"And you're not." Cassandra was about to say something since Yuna's comment had almost sounded insulting, but Yuna held up her hands in a gesture of peace, at least she hoped before speaking further. "Oh, I didn't mean that as an insult. I can tell you love your sister very much and that you just believe in yourself more than something beyond yourself as she does, that's all." Cassandra visibly calmed and shuffled her feet, a bit embarrassed for her knee jerk reaction. Yuna giggled behind her hand, unable to help herself since she was again reminded of Rikku. "I'm sorry, you just remind me of a very dear friend of mine."

"I'm glad to see that you two are getting along so well." Sophitia stood in the doorway, smiling warmly since she had been listening to the two talk shortly after Yuna had changed outfits. Cassandra blushed while Yuna giggled again before Sophitia spoke again. "Breakfast is ready. Would you care to join us miss…?"

"Oh, in all the excitement I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yuna."

* * *

_A/N. This is the longest single chapter I've done for any of my stories so far. It's not the best I could have done probably but it's certainly better than most I've done before now. I hope that you all enjoy the show from here on since I do plan to focus on a couple of people instead of all four groups until and IF they meet up together later, so each chapter you'll likely see maybe only Tifa and Yuna in one and then Beatrix and Quistis in another for example._

_Now before I get flayed alive for pulling apart supposedly canon couples with Tifa and Cloud from what I've learned recently, I have never really believed Tifa and Cloud were in a romantic relationship. I always considered them very close friends but never anything more than that. As for Yuna and Tidus…well, this is AU and while I loved the pairing in FF X and FF X-2, it kind of restricts what I can do if they got their happily ever after lol. Seriously, none of them know if they're going home so with that in mind, don't pull out the torches and pitchforks if I have Yuna get involved with anyone later is all I ask. :P_

_Joking aside, before anyone asks, I did bring in the Materia Orbs with Tifa from FF 7, Quistis still possesses her blue magic and GFs from FF 8, Beatrix will be able to enter Trance from FF 9, and Yuna will be using her staff in a similar fashion as Kilik uses his from SC, but like in FF X, she will be able to summon Aeons. Where appropriate, I'll either tone up or tone down or change their respective means of 'finishing opponents', but they will have finishing movies in some form or another to keep them in the spirit of Soul Calibur. I don't want them to be able to one shot everything they come across lol._

_Also, the song Rose of May, KatetheGreat, also known as Erutan, she came up with the lyrics I used for Beatrix's monologue or whatever you'd call it when she was talking about herself to Siegfried. All credit goes to her for the words used to put into clear perspective just what the woman once was and what she had become later down the line. Originally, Rose of May had no lyrics but Erutan changed that and it's one of my favorite songs thanks to her and her lovely voice._

_That aside, I hope you enjoy this first chapter into The Final Calibur. Adios, this is the Crossover King, signing off!_


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